Aerial pickup device



. 5, 1944. n o. ANDERsoN 2,364,042

AERIAL PICKUP DEVICE Filed April .3, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 5, 1944.R. QANDERSQN v 2,364,042

AERIAL PICKUP DEvIcE Filed April :5, 1194s 2-sheetssneet 2 Patented Dec.5, 1944 g UNITED;` STATES, PATENT N N@FICE ,n `2,364,042 f t l w nAERIAL PioKUr DEVICE RexfordO.Anderson,` Chicago, Ill., assignor toFoote Bros. Gear and `Machine Corporation,

Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application April 3, 1943,SerialNo. 481,712 n ioolaims, (o1. 25a-1.2):` l particularlydescribedand'claimed in my copend- 'This invention relates "to an aerial pickup,del

. vice and more particularly to a supportand guide `structure adaptedtobe mounted in an aircraft ing application, Serial No.'481,711, `liledApril 3;

1943, and as shown includesa pivoted `keeper I2` for engagement `with asupport to hold the `hook for supportinga pickup hook and guiding acable connected to the hook.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide `anfaerial pickupdevice including la cable t guide structure retractableinto the carryingplane and extensible beyond the plane toguide a tow.

10 Another object of the invention is to provide n a support and guidestructur for aerial pickupl denicesformed by pivotallyinterconnecte'dparts whichprovidea rigidconstruction projecting out ofthe plane in use andwhich maybe readilyrecable.

tracted into the plane.

t Another object of the invention isto provide an `aerialpickup deviceinwhich `a retractable frame serves both toguidea cableand to carry anelongated support `on which a hook maybe n detachably mounted.Y Stillanothertobjectof the` invention is to provide an elongated hook carry--ling support for an aerial pickup device which is formed in detachablyconnected sections. `One feature ofthe invention relates to a joint`constructionifor holding the sectionsrigidly togetherl C in apredetermined `angular position.`

detachably -thereon and fto operatea control device. The hook isconnected to acable I3 carried bya `reel I4 in the airplane. `The reelmay 1 be constructed as more particularly described and` n n claimedinthe `copending application of Mackmann and Ardussi, seriaiNo,481,736,11ed April 1 3, `1943, and may be controlled in accordancewith.- l the copending application of Ardussi, Anderson l and Landry,Serial No`.`483,0'78, led April 14,` 1943.` `1

The reel is adapted to be supported by a base I5` rigidly mounted in theaircraft and having an opening therein registering with an opening `inthe bottom 'of the aircraft. The base I5 lmay support the reel I4 anditsassociated mechanismn and also forms apart of the guide land supportstructure forming the subject matter of the pres.-

ent invention.

t i. In order to guide the cable to hold it away from A `further objectof the invention is to provide an aerial pickup device in whichthe-hook. carry-t` ingsupport is adapted toicarry a control deviceactuated by engagement of the hook with a load.

` The above and other objects and advantages of the invention will b emore readily apparent from the following description `whenread inconnection with the accompanying drawings, `in whichl l Figure 1 isalside `elevation with parts in a section of an aerial pickup deviceembodying the invention; n f t i Figure 2 is anenlarged partial viewsimilar `to Figure 1 onthe line 2-2 of Figure 3;`

Figure 3 is a section on the broken line3-3 of FigureZ; I l n Figure 4is a 4partial section on the lineyII--fl` of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial section of` the support showing a jointconstruction; and i l Figure Gis an enlarged partial section of theouter endof the support.

An aerial pickup device of the type the present invention relatesisadaptedto beycarl ried by an airplane indicated at I0 in Figure 1 and tocarry a hook II for engagement with a loop connected to a loadtobepickedup by the aircraft. The hook II maybe of the type more to whichthe aircr'aft during operation an arm I6 is pivoted tov the base I5` bymeans of removable pins I'I. The arm carriesav transverse roller I8under which the cable I3 passes and preferably has a pair of side`rollers I9 uto -limit side movement of the cable on the roller I8. Thearm` I6 has a pair of side extensions 2l providing `a space `throughwhich the cable may pass and which are pivoted at theirends to aV-shaped link `22. The` link 22 isdetachably connected to the base I 5by a removable pin 23` at its upperend. With this construction `removalof either pin 23 or pins I1 `will permit the link and arms to be pulledup through the openingA in the base I5 to retracted positionin theaircraft. When, however, the

pins are` alli-n place, an extremely rigid structure is Aprovided-holding the guide rollers I8 and I9 in'proper guiding `position belowthe ,outline of the aircraft.

The hook I l `is adapted tobe carried by an elongated support -mountedin the plane to project therefrom and for this purpose the link 22carries adjacent its opposite ends sleeves24 providing de` tachablemounting means for the support. The

sleeves are split atgtheir upper ends to provide n openings as best seenin Figure 4 which areless than half of the sleeve so that the supsportwill be properly held thereby. f

According to the present invention, the support for the `hoo-k `II ismade in a plurality ofrsections interconnected endto-,end, three suchsections 25, 26 and 21 being shown. `The outer end section 25 is ofsmaller diameter than the other sections and is formed at its end withan offset piece 28 and with a cross member '29 forming a part of themeans for securing the hook I! thereto. As shown, the outer end of thesection 25 is hollow providing a cavity 3| in which a control devicesuch as an electric switchA may be mounted. Wires connected to theswitch may pass through a hollow boss 32 on the side of section 25communicating with the hollow interior thereof. The wires may be held inplace on the support by guides 33 secured to theseveral sections so thatthe wires may be inserted in and removed from the guides as desired.

position shown in Figures 2 and 4 it will hold the support againstlongitudinal movement or turning movement in the sleeves.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described indetail, it will be understood that this is illustrative only and is notintended as a definition of the scope of the' invention, reference beinghad 'for this purpose to the appended claims.

` What is claimed is:

l. In an aerial pickup device', the combination of a base having acentral opening therein, arm

The several sectionsare connected together by their outer ends crosspins 34 shaped as best seen in Figure 4 to provide end portions ofdifferent v sizes. These pins are adapted to cooperate with bayonetslots 35 in the outer end of the smaller section, the slots 35 being ofdifferent sizes so that the sections can be put together in only onerelatively angular position.

In order to hold the bayonet joints against loosening the smallersection adjacent a joint carries a cam ring 36 formed in its oppositesides with angular slots 31 slidably intertting with pins 38 on thesmaller section. Each slot 31 terminatesfat one end in an axiallyextending portion 39 extending toward the adjacent end of the section. i

In connecting two sections together, the cam ring 36 is turned until thepins 38 are in the extensions 39` and the enolv of the section is thentelescoped into the adjacent section with the slots 35 fitting over thepins 34 and is turned to make the bayonet connection. The cam ring 36 isthen turned to engage the end of the, adjacent large section and toexert pressure thereon so that the pins 34 will be held against movingout of the slots 35. With this construction an extremely rigid joint isprovided.

In placing the support in the mounting sleeves 24 the end section 25withA the hook attached is passed through the space between theextensions 2l on arm I6 and is then dropped through the openings in thetop of the sleeves. Preferably the section 25 is made slightly smallerthanfthe openings in `the sleevesso that this can be done and the othersections are of greater diameter than the openings so that they will beheld against movement out of the'sleeves but will be slidably of a basehaving a central opening therein, arm f supported therein. The sectionsmay be progressively slid through the sleeves being connected togtherinside of the aircraft as this is done until the `end of the upper andlargest section is substantially even with the top sleeve 24.

by a spring 42. The spring acts between the end'` of the latch lever anda handle extension 43 on` the vsupport section by which the supportsection may be moved. At its opposite end the lever rlts4 into theopening in the upper sleeve 24 to hold the support against turningrelative to the sleeve c and hasa pair of extending ears 44 on itsopposite sides to engage the forward surface of theI sleeve. Thus whenthe latch is raised to pass over the sleeve 24 and is released to moveinto the and link members pivotally interconnected at one end, meansconnecting the other ends of the members to the base adjacent theopposite ends of the opening, a guide roller carried by one of themembers to guide a cable passing through the opening in the base, and anelongated support carried by the other member projecting at one endthrough the opening in the base and extending beyond the pivotalconnection between the members.

2. In an aerial pickup device, the combination and link `memberspivotally interconnected at one end, means connecting the other ends ofthe members to the base adjacent the opposite ends ofthe opening, aguide roller carried by one of the members to guide a cable passingthrough the opening in the base, and means on the other member fordetachably mounting an elongated support.

3. In an aerial :pickup device, the combination of a base having acentral opening therein, arm and link members pivotally interconnectedat one end, means connecting the other ends of the members to the baseadjacent the opposite ends of the opening, a guide roller carried by oneof the members to guide a cable passing through the opening in the base,and supporting sleeves carried by the other member'adjacent its ends tocarry an elongated support.

4. In an aerial pickup device, the combination of a base having acentralopening therein, arm and link members pivotally interconnected atone end, means connecting the other ends of the members to the baseadjacent the opposite ends of the opening, a guide roller carried by oneof the members to guide a cable passing through the opening in the base,mounting means on the other member,` an elongated sectional supportincluding a plurality of detachably connected sections slidably carriedby the mounting means,v and a latch carried bythe baseand engageablewith the support to hold the support against sliding movement in themounting means.

5. In an aerial pickup device, the combination of a base having avcentral opening therein, arm and link members pivotally interconnectedat one end, means connecting the other ends of Mthe members to the baseadjacent the opposite ends of the opening, a guide roller carried by oneof the members to guide a cable passing through the opening in the base,spaced mounting sleeves carried by the other member each having anopening in one side', a sectional support including an end section of asizer to pass through the openings in the sleeves and other sections ofa size slidably to fit in the sleeves, and a latch carried by the baseand engageable with the support tu lof a base having a central openingtherein, arm

and link members pivotally interccnnected at one end, means connectingthe other ends of the members to the base adjacent the opposite ends ofthe opening, a guide roller carried by one of the l members to guide a'cable passing through the openingin the base, spaced mounting sleevescarried by the other member each having an opening in one side, asectional support including an end section of a size to pass through theopenings in the sleeves and other` sections of a 4size slidably to t inthe sleeves, and a latch carried by the support engageable with one ofthe sleeves to hold the support against sliding and turning in thesleeves.

7. In an aerial pickup device, the combination `of a base having acentral opening therein, arm

and link members pivotally interconnected at one end,` means connectingthe other ends of the members to the base adjacent the opposite ends ofthe opening, a guide roller carried by one of the members to guide acable passing through the opening in the base, spaced mounting sleevescarried by the other member each having an opening in one side, asectional support including anend section of a size to pass through `theopenings y in the sleeves and other sections of a size slidably to iltin the sleeves, a hook connected to the cable,

and means on said end section detachably to supportthe hook thereon.

8. In an aerial pickup device, a suppOrt comprising a`plurality ofelongated tubularsections of different sizes to telescope together attheir ends, means on the smallest end section detachably to centsections each including a pin in the larger i section to lit in bayonetslots in the end of the smaller section and a cam ring on the smallersection to engage the end of the larger section to lockthe bayonetconnection. 9.In an aerial pickup device a Support comprising aplurality ofelongated tubular sections of different sizes totelescopetogether at their ends, means on the smallest end section detachably tosupport a hook thereon, a latch on the largest end section to hold it ina support, and

`joints between adjacent sections each including the largest end sectionto holdv it against turning in a support, and jointsbetween adjacentsections each including a pin' extending diametrically 25l 'across thelarger section and of different sizes at its ends, the end of thesmaller section being formed with bayonet slots of diierent'sizes toiii'.` over the ends of the pin respectively whereby the sections can beassembled in only one relative 30 angular. position, and a. cam ring onthe smaller support a. hook thereon, and joints between adjasectionengaging the end of the larger section to lock the bayonet connection.REXFORD O. ANDERSON.

